Securing tanks

[divezonescuba]

Hello:

I am in the final phases of preparing our boat for charter.

The issue of securing the tanks is still a bit up in the air. I have searched through the boating equipment posts and thought I might also try here. I am trying to standardize on al80s. I don't want to use the east coast plastic roll control clamps.

To that end, I have secured some 8 inch schedule 40 PVC pipe. I have a 15 inch design with a scalloped front and side and a bungee on top which looks like it can secure the tanks well. However, the problem with the pipe is that the typical hex plastic boot will not fit through the pipe.

Has anyone been successful with using 2 sections of 8 inch pipe in a c configuration at the top and bottom of the tanks? In this case, the tanks would snap into the c sections leaving the bottom open for the tank boot and the middle for the tank band(s).

 

[japan-diver]

Your solution sounds an awful lot like roll control - have used the roll control system on a few different boats and they work well.

 

[Tortuga James]

I use roll control and it has its pluses and minuses. They break easily. I have the adjustable ones, because I get all sorts of tank sizes and some doubles.

I think your system will be fine as long as you have mat or something no slippery for the boot to sit on and then secure well at the tank valve with a bungee pullover or something similar. I bought plastic modular mat to go under my tanks at www.greatmats.com

 

[rjack321]

I would not standardize on AL80s, no way, never. Serious divers, the ones who are going to be repeat customers, are gonna be diving alot of different tanks and rarely AL80s. Make something up which takes AL80s, steel tanks in both 7.25" and 8" diameters, along with doubles.

 

[Dr Dive]

I use the roll control, adjustable and with the moveable arms. I set the height off the deck to be just below the shoulder of an AL 80. This catches the majority of tank heights well, with BC straps below the arms. I also drilled a hole in each arm, toward the back for bungee. If you look at the arms, there is a mold mark that looks like a circle, near the hinge where the arm fattens out. Drill a hole big enough to take a stout, 3/8 or bigger, bungee. Knot it in and guesstimate the loop to be tight on an AL 80 tank neck.

With this set-up you can take AL 80s with the roll control, steel 72s with the roll control and several other tank sizes with the roll control. If the RC holds the tank, don't use the bungee. If the tank won't fit the roll control, set the arms up and use the bungee. The arms will stabilize the tank side-to-side and the bungee will hold it in.

This set up has taken all of the above tanks, plus short steels, tall steels of several sizes, AL 100 and 120, tech doubles (set one tank in and bungee it, the other tank rides sticking out), and ponys. Very versatile and, if you drill an additional small hole in the arms near the pointy end, you can use a small line to tie across the opening to stabilize anything else, or for rough seas.

Works for me.

Capt. Jim
Dr Dive
www.drdive.com
drdive@drdive.com

 

[japan-diver]

Do you have any pictures of the mods you made and can post?

 

[Dr Dive]

I can post some pictures of my set-up in a few days, by the weekend at the latest.

Capt. Jim
Dr Dive
www.drdive.com
drdive@drdive.com

 

[Tortuga James]

I have the adjustable roll controls so if I get a fat tank, like a LP 119 then I have to tap out the arms and open them up a bit. Big pain in the butt. If someone brings a set of doubles, then I tap the RC arms apart, set the doubles in between, pull them snug to the outside of the tanks and bungee the 2 arms together. On rough days, we strap everything in from one end of the set of gear to the other.

My house tanks are Steel HP 120's and 100's which are the same diameter as an AL80.

 

[Captain Bil]

I use Roll control adjustable fold down arms. They can be easily moved to accomodate tanks other than AL 80's, and fold down out of the way when not needed. No better system in my mind. A little pricey, but very professional looking and no hassle.

 

[amphibjg]

I too use adjustable and fold down arm roll controls and they work great. They set 8" high off the bench so boots or no boots it doesn't matter. we use bungees on the tank valves and when i get doubles or 8" tanks, which is often, we fold down the arms and use ratchet straps to secure the tanks.